Rookie Wootton must fight like mad just to make the cut... but he still outdrove Ernie

The fresh-faced, skinny rookie compared the two tee shots 20 yards apart on the fairway. 'Write down that I outdrove Ernie Els,' he said.

Adam Wootton will learn. And where better to learn than at the Open Championship, the ultimate test of legends, champions, world class players, average journeymen and, in the case of Wootton, a one-year professional who prior to qualifying had never won a four-figure cheque.

Els, who has seen it all before, plus a bit, said nothing but made sure his pitch to the 17th was close to unbeatable. He then 'placed' his drive smack bang in the middle of the 18th fairway before the young Englishman's ball flew on the wind into sand.

Living the dream: Adam Wootton is preparing to play in the Open Championship at Royal St George's

The pair met at Royal St George's last week having reached Sandwich by contrasting routes: Els via three major victories, including The Open at Muirfield in 2002, tens of millions of pounds in prize-money and sponsorship; Wootton from a shift at a driving range in Oxford and a seven-hole play-off win in the Bucks, Berks and Oxfordshire Professional Championship, whatever that may be, in May. Els in his private jet; Wootton in his boss's car.

'I played a practice round behind Els on the Tuesday,' said Wootton. 'I went into the clubhouse, ordered a round of drinks and heard Els tell the barman that he would pay.

'We talked and he promised to play nine holes with me during practice for The Open. My knees were knocking when we teed off at first. But I felt pretty comfortable after that.'

Wootton, 23, from Oxford, is obviously no shrinking rose. He had already put his name down to play a practice round with Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia. He will probably outdrive the world No 1.

On Thursday he tees off at 3.38pm with Tom Lehman, another former Open champion, and Ryan Palmer, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, though also a debutant in our Championship. 'It's a great draw,' Wootton said excitedly.

The Open is a whole new experience for Wootton. He had never even been to the Championship as a spectator when qualifying at Rye with rounds of 63, a professional course record, and 68. His caddie Mark Walker, the owner of the Oxford Golf Centre, is effectively Wootton's boss.

'Adam's the boss for the next four days but if he doesn't do well he will be painting the back of the range on Monday morning,' said Walker. 'And whatever, I'll be in charge again.'

Links lesson: Wootton tries to pick up a few tips during his round with former Open champion Els

Walker, in fact, has been a great encouragement in Wootton's fledgling career, to the point of arranging the £3,000 to pay for the week. He has put up £500 of his own money and obtained £2,500 in sponsorship from a friend's food business. He also reads all the putts and has played about 50 rounds at Royal St George's.

Wootton is suitably grateful. 'I follow his reads 95 per cent of the time,' he said. 'And I could not have afforded to be here without Mark. My father is a panel beater and my mum is an administrator in a hospital. There is not a lot of money around. I am losing a week's wages, too.'

He is one of a handful of competitors who can boast a tournament victory at Royal St George's. He won the Grand Challenge, an amateur event, in 2008 with rounds of 69 and 71. His amateur career remained undistinguished at national level, however, and the first 12 months as a pro has not exactly been Rory McIlory-like.

Twice Wootton has tried to gain his card for the European Tour and twice he has failed at the first hurdle. He is scratching out an existence on something called the Jamega Pro Golf Tour. It is first-rung-of-the-ladder stuff.

But Wootton is this week living his dream, not as a wallflower but someone who believes he is not out of place practising on the range between Dustin Johnson and Hunter Mahan. That was Monday's experience.

'I was a little bit in awe at first. But now I am thinking about making the cut as a first aim. Look what Ben Curtis did.'

Course horse: Wootton has already won a tournament at St George's - the Grand Challenge in 2008